First, we are two girls writing this story. It's me and then it's Endoh Chiaki. So don't you forget about that!
Disclaimer: We do not own the characters from Beyblade in any way or form. However, this story is fictional and the plot belongs to us only, so copying from this is not allowed without our permission. We do not make any money from this andourgoal is to entertain. Enjoy!
In a very far away future, humans, demons and other beings live side by side. It happened when a gate to another dimension opened 2034 allowing other species to inhabit the planet. Despite that they live so close to each other, the different life forms now battle and fight for the right to claim earth. The humans have suffered great losses and now only live in protected cities on the planet, so called "sanctuaries", where their greatest enemies, the demons, cannot reach them.
To be able to defend themselves against the demons, the humans trust in an ancient legend that will defeat the threat once and for all and bring peace between the species –the stone warriors. According to the myth, each of six people have the ability to control a different kind of stone which will give them the strength and powers to destroy the war once and for all, and give peace to the earth.
Naturally, no one has been able to find neither those people nor the stones. Troops are organized to participate in the battle and soldiers protect the capital. The rest of the cities have protectors but not strong enough to defeat the enemy if they were to attack with the goal to kill.
The only thing the humans can do is hope for the day the six will come forward and, with the power of the stones, will put an end to it all, before it's too late.
Stone Warriors
:By dream-whizper and Endoh Chiaki:
"Come back here you god-dammed thief"
"Just try and make me!" the boy shouted back to the angry shopkeeper.
He had no intentions what so ever to give up his newly stolen loaf of bread. It had taken him the whole entire evening just waiting for the man to be caught off his guard, before he could grab it. There was no way he was gonna give it back. However it was going to be hard to keep it, the man was fast and didn't seem to give the chase up.
It was late evening in the East Sanctuary and the cold air brought the message of a rapidly approaching winter. The grey metal walls reflected the moonlight as if they were made of mirrors in the icy air, and the cold stone ground made it nearly unbearable to walk barefooted.
The high towers and pinnacles piled themselves over the overall quiet city inside of the high massive concrete walls, kept over by guards. Hovering vehicles were making their way through the city and the inhabitants were hurried to get home from their jobs.
"I said come back here!"
The boy rounded a corner and nearly sat on his heals –a dead end, a high wall parting the alley in two. He gritted his teeth and looked around for somewhere to take cover, hearing the footsteps and cursing growing stronger with each second.
Not knowing what else to do, he measured the distance and jumped. He was barely able to reach it and dug his claws deep into the rock then released a sigh of relief. It had been a high jump, and the shopkeeper would not be able to follow him.
He laid the loaf on top of the wall and then swung his right leg over the edge, just as the man came in to the alley.
"What! How the hell did you get up there?" he barked, both surprised and angry without words.
The boy chuckled and grinned as he took up his treasure.
"Well, see, it's like magic. One second I'm there the other I'm gone. Thanks for the dinner!" he smiled and jumped down at the other side, the dark brown cloak flying behind him.
He heard the man spit and bark curses to Hell and back and shook his head. People needed to sort out their priorities. It was only a bit of bread for crying out loud. He looked at the loaf he was carrying.
"Hello food." he grinned happily.
It had been two days since he last had eaten anything, and for a good reason too. His friend had been sick and he couldn't just leave him to search for food. Now, however, he was healthy enough to spend a few hours by himself at their shelter.
He walked along the alley that he knew was leading to his temporary home. It was lying at the end of it, just a few feet away from the west side of the utter wall, and he smiled at a quiet sound coming from his friend somewhere behind the piles of metal-waste in the corner. He slowly pulled the torn blanket to the side and found himself staring into sparkling blue eyes.
"Hi Dragoon." he greeted the small creature lying on some old rags.
The creature squeaked when he came forward and crawled up into his lap, happy that he was back. The dragon's blue scales reflected the small rays of moonlight slipping through the improvised ceiling. It wasn't very big and could be compared to an extremely large dragonfly.
The boy broke a piece of the bread and fed it to the dragon that, reluctantly, ate it.
"I know it tastes like crap, but it's still food." the boy teased before starting to eat the bread himself.
A few minutes had passed and the bread was eaten. The boy stroked his hand through his thick midnight blue hair and blinked his brown eyes tiredly. He could see the stars on the dark sky through the ceiling and he smiled gently.
"See those, Dragoon? They are watching us from up there. Everyone we know who has passed away are watching us from up there. I believe that Mom is that one." he pointed at a large star in the north.
He knew the dragon didn't understand him, but he was the only one there to listen to the boy's thoughts and that was enough. He seldom talked about his thoughts and when he did, they sounded a bit childish, but they were innocent and pure.
The cold breeze made him quiver and he folded his arms around him, with a failed attempt to warm himself. When it didn't work, he decided to move and crawled outside, leaving the small blue creature behind.
He hissed at the cold ground underneath his feet, considering he had no shoes, and rubbed his arms. The air he breathed out was crystallized and his inhaling was a bit off. Somewhere above him, he could hear laughter coming from an open window, and he smiled. It was a girl's laughter, and probably her Dad's. They laughed often and it made his life seem a little better. Being able to, unseen, participate in the joy made him feel wanted.
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when something hard contacted with his head. With a small cry of dismay, he hit the hard ground. Confused, he looked up from his position only to be firmly kicked in the stomach.
"You filth. How dare you even exist within these walls!"
An older teen was standing above him. He had three comrades, two in position behind him, glaring down at the newly fallen boy. They all wore white outfits with a red belt at the waist along with turkey coloured cloaks, meaning they were in the army. Their leader had grey and red hair along with green eyes.
"What the hell are you think you're doing at our part of the city!" a girl with the same hair colour as the boy hissed.
"What do you mean YOUR part, huh? I have the same right as you to be here"
His rebellious words resulted in another kick, this time in the back. The boy cried out in pain at the heavy impact. Not getting any time to recover he was dragged from the ground and harshly pinned against the concrete wall. The person holding him was huge, with sunburned skin and dark blonde hair. He tried to get away but it was just a waste of energy.
The green-eyed teen walked over to where he was being held and leant against the grey surface beside him.
"What's your name, freak?"
When he didn't reply the blonde guy slapped him hard across the cheek and tightened his grip around the boy's neck.
"Ozuma asked you a question, filth." he growled.
With the grip tightening even more, he was afraid of being choked. Slowly he moved his lips but no sound was coming out.
"What did it say?" the girl asked a shorted guy with green hair.
"Well?" Ozuma said with a bored tone.
"Ta…kao" the boy hissed hoarsely.
"Well then, Takao. Let us get this clear. If you ever return to this spot, we will kill you, understood?" he informed simply.
"…No"
"What?"
"No, you can't do this." he growled irritated.
With a swift movement, he dug his claws into the blonde's arm, who released him with a cry of pain. He then leapt to the side to get away, but the blonde gorilla threw himself over the boy and pined him to the ground with such force, he couldn't breathe.
"You little filth!" he growled low.
"Is that the only word you know, you big ape?" Takao mocked in a troubled whisper.
That was too much for the blonde, because he got off him and grabbed him by the cloak and, with all force he possessed, threw him against the hard stone surface. Takao screamed in pain and fell motionlessly to the ground. However, the blonde lifted him by the left wrist and stared into his brown eyes. Takao breathed faster and tried to squirm away from the grip. The blonde smirked and then bent the phalanx so hard that the bone snapped underneath the pressure, and Takao shrieked in pain.
"That's enough, Dunga." Ozuma smirked from where he was standing.
Takao held his hand protectively against his chest, as the four was about to leave. His teeth were gritted together and his body trembled from anger and fear. Not thinking twice he lashed out, tearing Dunga's leg with his unhurt hand.
The huge guy screamed in pain and fury at the attack. Takao now found himself without any way out, cornered as an animal. Dunga's punch hit him hard and he fell to the ground. He was brought back to his senses when something tore into the skin of his arm. He opened his eyes and just with bare effort avoided the knife to connect with his face.
A low growl caught his attention and he turned his head to look behind the four. Dragoon had come out to protect his master and friend.
"Dragoon, get the hell out of here!" he screamed to the creature who didn't take any notice of him.
Ozuma looked in the direction to where the words had been spoken and he frowned at the small dragon showing its fangs.
"Look, it's the freak's pet." the girl smirked.
She walked over to the dragon and lifted him up without any problems despite of his angry growls and warning snaps. She glared at the small creature with dismay and gazed ed at her team leader with a questioning look.
"Is it yours?" Dunga asked with a taunting expression.
When the boy didn't answer, He lifted him up holding his broken wrist. Takao cried out in a weak voice at the action.
"Well?"
"He's my friend." Takao finally surrendered.
"Friend? You mean you're friend with a damn lizard?" Dunga broke into laughter followed by the others.
The girl grasped around the dragon's neck, causing it to release a small hiss.
"Stop it! You're hurting him!"
The boy was about to get up and help his friend but was prevented of doing so by a hard kick on his torso. With a pained gasp he collapsed back at the ground.
"Who says that isn't Mariam's intention?" Ozuma informed calmly.
Takao watched to his blurred vision how Dunga took Dragoon from Mariam. He then walked over to where Takao laid and kicked the boy hard in the face. He grasped both of Takao's wrists and pressed them against the wall above his head.
"How long have you…known…this thing?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Takao looked over at Dragoon who looked back at him.
"All my life." he replied monotonous without taking his eyes from the creature.
"And that is?" the small green haired boy asked.
"Fifteen years."
Tears were beginning to form in his eyes and he was unsure what to do. Ozuma smirked with satisfaction and turned his back to the boy.
"Do what you want, Dunga." he said and walked off, followed by the other two. "Just make sure he won't return, ever."
Dunga smirked with satisfaction and slapped him hard over the face.
"You heard that, filth? I can do whatever I want with you and it won't be reported."
Takao pressed himself against the concrete and coughed. He then glared at the blonde with both hatred and fear.
"Well, you big ape, give me your best shots." he chuckled. "You hit like a girl"
"Oh, I will enjoy swiping that smirk off your face, boy."
He then looked at the dragon in his hand, and Takao got a worried expression on his face. Then, Dunga smirked maniacally.
"This is for my arm and my leg." he growled. He took a firm grip around the thin blue neck and with a snap, broke it. A muffled hiss was the last thing ever to be heard by the small creature as it fell limply to the ground.
"NO! DRAGOON!" Takao screamed at the top of his lungs as he, despite his injuries leapt forward towards his childhood friend.
He didn't reach him though. Just a few inches away, he was hit hard in the side and he felt an indescribable pain inside of his chest. Still, he reached out his arm from where he was lying, trying to reach the fallen dragon. A large foot was placed on his hand, preventing him from getting any closer.
"You're pathetic, freak. Like every one else of your breed."
He kicked the teen over so that he laid on his back. Tears were now freely travelling from Takao's eyes down through his face.
"You bastard!" he hissed in despair. "You killed him…you…" he was cut from his sentence by a knee right down at his unprotected torso and he cried in pain.
"Well, at least you only have to feed yourself, creep." the blonde sneered evilly.
The large teen stood to his feet and started to kick the so much smaller boy all over his body. The kicks hit hard, tearing his inner veins, forming angry bruises.
"I-I'm sorry Dragoon…I…I…good bye." he sniffed through his screams.
With each impact, he drifted further away into darkness, and the last thing he saw before passing out was Dunga, picking up the limp body of the dragon and throwing it over the wall, out towards the outside world.
……
Takao awakened from the feeling of wet in his face. He could not move a muscle and his left side hurt so much he found it hard to breathe. It was still dark, but the sky was now covered in clouds, no stars left to be seen. He didn't know if the water came from the clouds or from his eyes.
"Dragoon." he whispered weakly.
He persuaded himself in sitting up, although his body craved to be lying down again. His wrist had swollen and was now dark purple, and so was his side. His body was covered in bruises and torn skin.
He realized that it actually –was- raining, cold droplets of water falling heavily on his hurting body. He turned his bruised face towards the sky and frowned with his very soul.
Quietly, he turned to the wall and lifted his hand towards the grey surface. With weak movements, he then let his index finger cut into the concrete, forming signs. With his physical health at this stage, it took longer than it normally would, and the tears was blurring his vision too.
He took his hand away from the wall and stood up, using his own knee for support.
Suddenly, shouts, raised voices and screams could bee heard from outside the alley he was in. One sentence caught his attention:
"We captured a demon! We captured a demon!"
'A demon'
With a final look at the signs on the concrete, Takao bowed his head as a final 'good bye' and staggered away, leaving the alley silent with only memories of what had recently happened there.
tbc